Toxoplasmosis Screening during Pregnancy in a Romanian Infectious Diseases Tertiary Center: Results of a 15 Years Follow-Up Program

Abstract

Maternal infection with Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy may have serious consequences for the fetus. In Romania, screening for toxoplasmosis is included in the first antenatal visit. A retrospective study was performed on all toxoplasmosis antenatal screening patients between May 2008 and February 2023. Twenty-seven thousand one hundred sixty-nine (27,169) pregnant women presented for prenatal screening once (22,858) or several times: during the same pregnancy (209) or during multiple pregnancies (4102). Thirty-one thousand six hundred fifty-eight (31,658) tests for IgM and IgG antibodies were performed. Nine thousand eighty-three (9083) tests (28.69%), corresponding to 7911 women (29.12%), were positive for IgG antibodies. The seroprevalence increased with patients’ age, decreased in time intervals, and was more frequently associated with rural residence. At risk for acquiring the infection during the pregnancy were women with negative anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies (70.88%), but only 0.9% of them presented for rescreening during the same pregnancy. Acute Toxoplasma infection (ATI) was suspected in 44 patients (0.16%) due to IgG seroconversion and/or low or borderline IgG avidity. A questionnaire follow-up interview was performed, and no congenital toxoplasmosis was identified in children born from mothers with probable ATI. Our study demonstrates poor compliance with the screening program in the Romanian population.

Keywords

• <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>
• antenatal screening
• anti-<i>Toxoplasma</i> antibodies
• acute <i>Toxoplasma</i> infection